Electric Weapons in Wisconsin What are they? Are they legal? I’ve noticed a number of people expressing an interest in acquiring and carrying electric weapons on social media.  It’s important to have an understanding of what these weapons are and the applicable laws in Wisconsin.  What is an Electric Weapon?  There are two types of electric weapons in common use, the stun gun and the TASER®.  While many people use the terms interchangeably, this is inaccurate.  These two devices operate differently.  I will describe stun guns in more detail than the TASER ..read more

Early this morning I sent the following correspondence to all members of the Madison, WI city council urging them to repeal section 25.28 of the city ordinances  which states "No person shall sell, manufacture, purchase, possess, or carry a "Numchuk" (also called a "Nunchaku") or a "Churkin" or a "Sucbai" or similar weapon, within the City of Madison."  I made the following arguments: 1) Thousands of varieties of weapons exist, yet during the city 1970's chose to ban just three which originated in Southeast Asia and are part of the long martial arts tradition?  Why? We kno ..read more

  Gaining Perspective  “I feel naked without my gun.” is a statement sometimes made by someone who has carried a concealed firearm long enough that they have become comfortable with the practice and have made it part of their everyday routine.  Typically this statement comes about when the person is entering a gun free environment, e.g., on a commercial flight or in some other prohibited location.   Sometimes it is said aloud, and at times only said to one’s self.  I will admit there was a time several years ago when I found myself saying it.  But I looked inside ..read more

More About Carjacking As auto anti-theft systems have gotten more difficult to overcome, the crime of carjacking has increased.  Why try to defeat a sophisticated anti-theft system when you can simply take a vehicle from the driver after all anti-theft safeguards have been deactivated?  Carjacking can happen anywhere but mostly occurs in urban commercial areas while the driver is entering or exiting a parked vehicle.   Over 90% of carjacking occur in urban or suburban areas In a national survey 93% of carjackers were male In the same survey a weapon was used in 74 ..read more

 Personal Security In and Around Vehicles In the second part of the discussion of personal security in and around vehicles I will discuss the qualities of a vehicle that enhance your ability to remain safe from crime, security while driving, vehicle breakdowns.  Upcoming part 3 shall cover being followed, being attacked while inside the vehicle including from within the vehicle, having a gun in your vehicle while driving to other states, dealing with police stops of your vehicle, and the Castle Doctrine law as it applies to vehicles in Wisconsin. Americans spend a lot of time driv ..read more

 Personal Security In and Around Vehicles Because many crimes are committed in and around your vehicle, you should consider yourself to be in a “red zone” whenever you approach or leave your vehicle.  A “red zone” is any place that by its very nature merits extra attention and precautions.   Many ambushes occur in and around vehicles.  This is true for everything ranging from a stalker or jealous ex, to a sophisticated terrorist attack against a high profile target.  This is due to the fact that vehicles bring with them vulnerabilities that criminals can exploit ..read more

 Wisconsin Concealed Carry Basics in Two Minutes A concealed carry license in Wisconsin allows you to carry in public A concealed handgun A concealed “billy club” A concealed electric weapon (stun guns and Tasers™) You can carry all these things concealed without a license on your own property or legally occupied land, or inside your place of business if you are at least 18 years old and not prohibited from possession If you are at least 18 and not ineligible to possess a firearm you may carry any kind of knife concealed without a license in Wisconsin. Local regulation ..read more

 As of today, here are the states where you can carry a concealed handgun with a Wisconsin CCL. Many states are "Constitutional Carry" and do not require a concealed carry license, and others simply honor the Wisconsin license.  Including Wisconsin, currently you can carry in 35 states. Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas Colorado Florida Georgia Idaho Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Michigan Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska New Hampshire Nevada North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Pennsylvania South Dakota ..read more

 I've begun to compile principles of concealed carry (and personal protection in general) that I consider to be axiomatic.  I will expand upon each of these over time.  These are in no particular order.  This is a work in progress. 1. In any decision you make regarding personal protection, compromise is ALWAYS present, whether you are aware of the compromise or not.  It's better to be aware of them. 2. Never assume that luck will be on your side.  Luck comes in two forms:  good and bad.  Minimize your reliance on luck. 3. You are on your own.  Ne ..read more

WELCOME! You will find a broad range of topics here-- all related to the topic of crime and personal safety. Understand that putting the word "Wisconsin" in the title does not mean this is of interest only, or even primarily, to people who live in Wisconsin. I am located in Wisconsin, USA. Occasionally an installment will be specific to Wisconsin, e.g., legislation in this state. But most subject matter is relevant regardless of location. My goal is to provide a resource for the reader to broaden their knowledge of the many things that go into keeping yourself safe in our less-than-perfect wo ..read more